Improvement in machines for stretching hat-bodies



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IMPROVEMENT IN MACHINES Eon STRETCHING HAT-BCDIES.

The Schedule. referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To allwhom. it 'may concern.-

Be it known that I', 'WILLIAM G. GRIswoLD, of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings, and State of New York, have invented a new and'useful Machine for Stretching the Tips and Brim-Parts of Hat-Bodies preparatory to their being blocked; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, in-which Figures 1 and 2 represent longitudinal vertical sections of the complete machine in two different positions.

Figure 3, plan view of ling c. Figure4, plan view of star m. Figure 5, plan view of. ling d, and inl cross-bar to which this ring is secured.

' Figure 6, plan view of plate 'i and bars i).

Figure 7, a view'of the rear side of lever. Figure 8, vertical section of the upper end of rod g and its appendages.

The machine consists of a frame constructed of two red lines the lsides a, connected and held together byseveral horizontal cross-bars.

l The upper cross-bar b is made with a centre aperture, as shown in g. 5, in red lines, representing a plan view of the said bar b.

To the lower side' of this bar b, and concentric with its aperture, there is secured a ling, d, having a numbei' of inclined radiating bars, d', attached to it.

There is another ling, c, above the cross-bar b, capable of adjustment up and down, by means of stationary screw-studs e and e', and nuts f and f.

This ring c contains in its interior six or more arms or spokes c', which 'run in a curved shape towards the centre, as shown plainlyin section, gs.1 and 2. These two rings, c and d, are concentric with each other.-A

jOn a vertical line with the centres-of rings c and d, and below them, there is avertical rod, g, which is made to slide up and down in bearings in cross-bars hand h.

This rod g carries on its' upper end a horizontal circular plate; i, to which are jointed as many radiating arms il, as thereare varms attached to ring d, and these arms i are so arranged as to interveneV with arms d when the rod gis elevated, and they are made to be raised or expanded by links 7c, jointed to aA plate or hub, 7c', which is capable of sliding up and down on the centre rod g. v

The upper end of this rod g is made hollow, and into its bore there is inserted a vertical' stud,'l, having a screw-thread cnt'its whole length, and the upper end of this stud lcarries a star, m, the arms of which intervene with the spokes c when the rod g is elevated, as shown in g. 2.

This star is adjusted up and down on the centre rod g, by a nut, a, which is screwed on to the said stem or stud l, and which heals upon the upper end of thc centre rod 'g.

The stem is kept down in place by a hook, i, attached 'to the plate i, and tlnning over the top side of nut n,

or by any other convenient means. The ring c, with its spokes, in connection with th star m, serves to stretch the tip ofthe hat; and the larms d' of ring d, in connection with the movable arms i, perform the stretching Vofv the brim.

The mechanism for giving the ascending motion to the rod g, and all its appendages, and for producing the spreading motion of the arms i', is as followsz There are-two levers, o and p, both ofthe same shape, withA their fulcra at q, and both operated by one crankpin fr, which receives a rotary motion, in the .directieliof the arrow, by any convenientl means. The levers resting upon the said crank-pin lr, by their weight, receive a reciprocating motion up and down. Lever o impalts its motion, by means of a connecting-link, o',

to the vertical rod g and all its appendages.

By the peculiar shape of the lever, it is enabled to stand still for nearly one-quarter of lthe revolution of the crank, and during this time the lever p, which ,is connected with the sliding hub L by a rod, p', continues its upward motion, and so spreads the arms fi.

It takes three or more strokes of the tip and brimstretching mechanism to completely stretch the hatbody, and it is desirable ,that the stretching of the brim should be done gradually, that is to say,`that the arms t" should not spread out to the-m11 extent, except at the last stroke, and this I accomplish by attaching, to the side of the lever p, a smaller lever, s, having its fulcrum at s. Said lever s is depressed below the edge of lever p. Riding upon the crank-pin, it causes the lever p to continue its upward lmotion, until both levers, n and p, commence to descend.

, The depression of lever s is regulated by a small cam, t, against which the lever s bears, and this cam is operated by a ratchet, u, and pawl c.

The operation of the machine is as followsf 'When the machine is in a.position as showning. 1, the vertical r'od g and its appendages being at its lowest position, the hat-.body can be placed over the star 'm and the bars t, and now, the crank revolving the rod g, will ascend to a position, as shown in iig. 2,-

' thereby corrugatingthe tip of the hat-body, and stretch-- ing the same, and while the rod g remains in that elcvated position, the lever p, by means of its side lever s, being depressed, continues its ascending motion, and therefore'- spreads the arms il, thereby corrugating the brim of the hat, between the arms d and il.

In this position the arms i are shown in Iig. 2. Now, the. rod g and its appendages descend rapidly, and when they have arrived at their lowest pesition, (shown in iig. 1,) the hat can be turned, by the operator, and the machine, continuing itsmotion, will mise the hat `up again, and subject it toa second stretching,.the stretching of thc brim, this time, exceeding that of the first time, and so on, until the hat-body is thoroughly stretched.

I am aware that the tip-stretching and brim-stretchin g devices herein described are not in themselves new', and these I do not claim separately; but

WVhat-I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination of the tip-stretching mechanism, consisting of the spokes c' and star lm, with the brimstretching mechanism, consisting of the' inclined sta- Isionary arms d', and the expansible or spreading arms fi, al1 constructed, ananged, and operating substantially as herein specified. v

i WM. C. GRISWOLD. Witnesses:

A. KRl-MMEL, R. BOEKLEN. 

